2014 SFPGA Junior Tour
Spring Series Recap MEMBERS ON THE MOVE After the Spring Series ends, the scoring average from the Challenge Tour is calculated and certain players have been promoted to Conditional Tour Status or to Fully Exempt Championship Tour Status. Congratulations to the following Junior Tour Members on earning a Tour Status upgrade
Challenge to Conditional
Keith Messery Chris Berezuk Brandon Rinaldi James Fischer Corey Stepanek Sam Bennett Michael Rinaldi Yui Fujii Gabrielle Soares Bridget Green Taylor Sukmana
Fully Exempt Championship Tour
Ryder Sutcliffe Blake Schmalenberger
Sutcliffe Dominates Challenge Tour Spring Series Jupiter native Ryder Sutcliffe was the early star of the Challenge Tour in 2014. Sutcliffe’s season started off with a dramatic 2 hole playoff victory in Challenge Event #1. With his confidence building into Challenge Event #2, Sutcliffe found himself yet again in a sudden death playoff for the overall title. This time Sutcliffe would only need one playoff hole to take top honors. With two Overall titles under his belt already in the season, Sutcliffe decided to head to Naples to compete at the Vineyards Country Club for Challenge Event #3. This time the 14 year old wouldn’t need a sudden death playoff to capture his 3rd straight title. Looking to close out the spring series, and what would be his final Challenge Tour event of his career, Sutcliffe
Ryder Sutcliffe (left), Don Law, PGA (right)
decided to enter Challenge Event #4 at PGA Golf Club. Sutcliffe opened up round one with a disappointing 8over par 80 in extremely windy conditions. Entering the final round, Sutcliffe was only 4 shots off the lead and knew that he would have to find a way to post a solid round in more windy conditions. Sutcliffe would go on to shoot a 78 which was
enough to once again capture the Overall Boys Title and give him his 4th straight victory on the Challenge Tour. Sutcliffe has now earned full exempt status on the Championship Tour where he will compete against the best junior golfers in South Florida and look to make a name for himself once again.
Cannon and Beber-Frankel Highlight Boys 11-12 The Boys 11-12 year old age division has one of the tightest races for overall player of the year after the Spring Series. Current leader Jake Beber-Frankel of Miami is off to a great start after
capturing a 1st place finish, a 2nd place finish, and a 4th place finish. Not far behind is long hitting youngster Kade Cannon. Cannon already has two 1st place finishes and is only a few
points behind BeberFrankel. The 11-12 year old division has provided some great entertainment so far this season and much more is expected.
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SFPGA Junior Tour Spring Series Re cap
Snap Shots of 2014 Season
Late Win Puts Hiller in POY Lead Mary Kate Hiller has started out the 2014 season with 2 victories on the Challenge Tour. The Vero Beach native was able to claim the Overall Title at Challenge Event #1 and most recently at Challenge Event #4 at PGA Golf Club. Not far behind Hiller is Hobe Sound native Hannah Foster. The 13 year old Foster claimed the overall title at Challenge Event #3
and a second place finish at Challenge Event #4. Foster will look to continue to chip away at Hillers Player of the Year lead and contend for the title while continuing to rise in the ranks at a young age.
(Mary Kate Hiller)
(Hannah Foster)
Gabriele Takes Early Lead in Championship Tour Anthony Gabriele has played in 4 events this year. In those four events, Gabriele has a 70.4 scoring average, 32 birdies, a hole in one, and 3 rounds in the 60’s. Saying the Wellington native is off to hot start would be a vast understatement. Gabriele has claimed the overall title in 3 of the 4 Championship Tour events during the Spring
Series and has a commanding lead in the Player of the Year points race. There are still 6 events to go along with The Tour Championship for someone to make a move to catch him, but if his play remains anywhere near what is was during the Spring Series, he will be the last man standing come December.
Keep an eye out for young star Sachin Kumar of Port St. Lucie to have a few battles with Gabriele during the season. Kumar was a recent Champion of an AJGA Tournament in Tampa last month.
Bela Nagey, PGA (right), Anthony Gabriele (Left)
Moving Between Tours As seen on the first page, during the season standout Challenge Tour players are granted access on to the exclusive Championship Tour throughout the season. The Championship Tour is reserved for the elite Junior Golfers in South
Florida who have a large amount of tournament experience and compete at a high level. Championship Tour events feature longer yardages for the juniors as well as tougher hole locations and quicker greens which help to show
recruiters their ability to handle tough golf courses. Championship Tour Members also earn double the AJGA Performance Stars for victories.
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SFPGA Junior Tour Spring Series Recap
2014 Tour Partners
Are You Involved in The Birdie Club? In 2008, the SFPGA developed a fun way for juniors to help raise money for the SFPGA Foundation through the Birdie Club. Juniors are encouraged to and find sponsors to pledge a certain amount of money for each birdie made during tournaments. At the end of the year, the top earner will receive a premium gift, as well as an exemption into the 2015 SFPGA Junior PGA Championship. The SFPGA Foundation is responsible for touching the lives of more than 8,000 individuals residing in South Florida through various programs such as junior golf, charitable gifting, scholarships, and building homes for the Habitat for Humanity. This month, the SFPGA and Habitat for Humanity had the sign unveiling ceremony on our third home that we have been involved in building in South Florida. As you can see, becoming a part of the birdie club not only supports the Junior Tour, it helps families in need in South Florida!
Team Golf Set to Start 2014 Season Do you know a junior is South Florida that has a passion for golf but isn’t old enough for the Junior Tour just yet? Well we have a program for them as well! Team Golf is a great way to introduce juniors to the game of golf in a team environment. The program is designed for kids ages 614 with little to no golf experience. Team Golf offers an introduction to tournament play through 9hole team competition, and serves as a fun, social, less stressful approach to the game of golf for those just starting out in the game.
starting out in the game. Team Golf is designed to get kids experience in golf before they begin their tournament careers on the Challenge Tour. Participants will have team practices and receive instruction from local PGA Professionals. For more information on Team Golf visit www.sfpgajuniorgolf.com.
www.SFPGAJUNIORGOLF.com